It seems that the call given by Bhopal Shahar Qazi and other Maulavis to refrain from watching movies on the Eid day has worked, as the Salman Khan starrer Kick, released on the festival day, failed to cash in the expected business.
Box office reports suggest that the superstars movie not only failed to touch the expected Rs100 crore mark but remained much lower than that at just Rs85 crore.
The last films of his professional rivals Shahrukh Khan and Amir Khan have crossed the Rs100 crore mark on the opening day despite the fact they were not released close to any festival.
Prior to the special Eid prayer at Eidgah, the Bhopal Shahar Qazi Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi while delivering his sermon in an unusual way called on the Muslim brethren to stay away from watching movies on the festival day.
The move though did not surprise many in the crowd because watching movie is considered as a sin in Islam besides similar calls were given from the different mosques of the city during the past few days.
The Shahar Qazi said, “Har saal uski film release hoti hai aur aap dekhne jaate hain. Meri aap se guzarish hai ki aaj aap koi bhi film dekhne nahin jayen.” (Every year his film is released on Eid and you go and watch it. It is my l request that you do not watch any film today.)
Nadvi refrains from naming the person, ‘uski’ is the closest he gets, whose film he wants devotees to shun to “break the tradition” of Eid releases. But the message is clear: Kick out Salman Khan’s latest film from your Eid itinerary. The film, Kick, was released on Friday, during Ramzan.
Other Maulavis have not been so subtle. Over the past three days, Salman and his film have been constantly in their sermons. “Salman Khan releases his films on Eid.
This year too you may have bought tickets. Tear them apart, don’t go to his film,” the message was announced from the top of many minarets of Bhopal mosques.
“Don’t go there. He will stop releasing his films on Eid,” was the appeal from many others. The message was circulated through many other means, including
fervent appeals on mobile applications.
A few months ago, when Salman’s Jai Ho had failed to set the box -office on fire, there were rumors that clerics had run a campaign against him after he was spotted with Narendra Modi.
But the Bhopal clerics stay away from politics. Their justification is socio-religious. “You should stay home and welcome guests at your home instead of going to the theatre,” says Nadvi.
Other Maulavis say Eid is an occasion for receiving the ‘inam’ after Ramzan from the almighty above. “All month you pray and when the time for claiming the reward comes you go and sit in the theatre,” others preach.